Sri Lankan gov´t rejects rebel ceasefire offer

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-27-2009 09:46

The Sri Lankan government is rejecting a unilateral ceasefire announcement by the Tamil Tigers.

The government insists the rebels must lay down arms and surrender. Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse described the ceasefire offer as a joke.

Sri Lankan government soldiers stand with their weapons near the town of Putumatalan located on the outskirts of the 'No Fire Zone' in northern Sri Lanka April 24, 2009.REUTERS/David Gray

He said the rebels are not fighting with the government troops, but retreating. He said there is no need for a ceasefire and that the rebels must surrender.

Meanwhile, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs- John Holmes is now on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, assessing the government's humanitarian effort.

Some 50 thousand civilians are still believed to be trapped in the remaining 10-square-kilometer area where the conflict is going on.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei